The German, the Nightclub and Broken Taboos
by Scarlet Secret
Summary: To help Finn get over an inappropriate crush Marguerite tells her young friend a story from her own past, which she never intended to reveal to anybody. Femslash. But not between Marguerite, Finn or Veronica. Set in an imagined series four.


After Finn arrives at the treehouse Marguerite wonders about her but can't reach any conclusions. Once Veronica returns Marguerite is positive that her first instincts were right and that Finn would much prefer a woman in her bed.

This of course doesn't shock her. In her official capacity as a woman of the world she has seen and done many things that the civilised ladies of England would consider unthinkable. That isn't to say she was a hairs-breath away from inviting Finn to join her for a moonlit stroll but Marguerite enjoyed knowing something about he younger woman that nobody else in the treehouse did. And she was only mildly insulted that it had not become apparent until Veronica was present and she herself had not brought it out, after all what would she do with an adolescent trailing around after her! Veronica naturally is completely oblivious and this doesn't surprise Marguerite for a second. Although she sometimes wonders about the dubious nature of Veronica's relationship with Assai and the time the blonde woman spent with the Amazons, it has never come up in conversation, nor was it likely to. No, it wasn't that Veronica was unaware of the principle, more believable was that she simply didn't notice and secretly Marguerite thought this was easier on Finn. If Veronica was unaware then the crush could fizzle out and their friendship would not be tarnished.

Marguerite doesn't think she has ever seen somebody more desolate than Finn on the day that Malone finally returned to the treehouse. She is fairly sure that none of the others saw their youngest member slink away to the balcony whilst Malone was welcomed with heartfelt hugs, kisses and handshakes. Of course ever since then Finn has disliked Malone immensely and if she is ever asked about it she says he talks down to her and he makes fun of her non-existent education. This is actually true but Marguerite doubts very much if this is the sum of it. After three months like this the heiress decides that it's time to speak with Finn and give her an opportunity to vent, perhaps going a long way to helping her get over it.

One day Roxton and Veronica head out hunting, while Challenger and Malone make some more adjustments to the windmill and Marguerite is left at home to mend the clothes and baby-sit Finn, who is meant to be gardening. She knows that the others will not be back until later that night and knows this may well be the only chance she ever gets to have this conversation. And so she heads to the balcony and looks down for Finn who, she is shocked to see, is actually doing the work she is meant to be.

"Finn! Can you come up here?"

"Why? It's not lunchtime yet is it?"

"No, but I need to speak with you."

Shrugging her lithe shoulders Finn dropped the gardening tool unceremoniously on the floor and climber in the lift. When she reached the top Marguerite was sitting at the far end of the dinner table, looking sympathetic.

"What is it Marguerite, I need to get back to work."

"Sit down. This is more important."

Frowning, the young woman slumped into the seat at the opposite end of the table and waited for Marguerite to begin.

"Listen Finn, this isn't easy to say, or to hear I imagine, but it has to be said. You need to stop."

"Stop what? Gardening?"

"No! You're angry at Malone all the time and it's obvious to me, although not to anybody else it seems."

"He talks to me like I'm dumb! Ok, I didn't go to Columbia, wherever the hell that is, but he thinks he's better than me."

"Isn't there another reason though?"

"Well…he wouldn't let me practice with his gun. And he always corrects me when I'm trying to read. Oh and he said I shouldn't go hunting 'cus I'm too loud!"

Marguerite, with some bemusement, thought that she, herself, had done all of these things to Finn, yet she was still on the girls good list. This only confirmed her suspicions so she decided to bite the proverbial bullet.

"Finn, I know about you're feelings for Veronica."

The younger woman went completely white in a matter of moments and Marguerite rushed to her side, thinking that the girls must be ill.

"How did you find out?"

Marguerite didn't think she had ever heard anybody sound so desperate in her life and she couldn't help but feel sympathy for the girl who was probably more like herself than any of the other treehouse inhabitants. She tentatively put her arms around the girl and Finn leaned into her, sobbing.

"Oh it's ok, shhhh. Nobody else knows and I guessed."

"You guessed?! But how? After V got back from wherever she was we never spent much time around you."

"Well, I'd already guessed that you weren't so keen on men before she got back and the amount of time you spent with her…listen you don't need to worry about ANY of the others knowing, I promise you they don't. I'm the only one that knows and I won't think anything different about you. Listen we both know it was never going to happen and I know it hurts but it does go away soon and then you can get on with your own life, rather than thinking too much about being part somebody else's who's utterly inappropriate."

"Marguerite?"

She looked at the younger woman in her arms, who was still crying, but not quite as violently, and for a moment thought she must have said something wrong.

"Thank you."

Marguerite felt tears behind her own eyes and was determined to avoid them so she stood up and went to fetch a glass of water. Anything to keep her out of sight in case she cried.

"Marguerite?"

"Yes Finn." She'd had a feeling there would be questions.

"Who was she?"

Shocked she returned to the table and sat down, her eyes staring at everything but Finn.

"What…erm…what do you mean?"

Finn's disbelieving look told her that unlike the rest of their friends, she would not be able to tell an undetected lie to the younger woman.

"Oh fine! But if you dare repeat this to anybody I will take pleasure in feeding you to the raptors!"

"Right back at you MG."

Trying not to look phased by the use of a new nickname Marguerite began.

"I don't know how much the others have told you about what I did during the war – "

"Which war?"

"The Great War. How old do you think I am?"

"Was that the one with Germany?"

"Yes."

"And that Hitler guy?"

"Who?"

"He was in control of Germany during the Second World War."

"There's _another _war…no wait! I don't think I want to know right now. Alright this woman, and I have never told this story to anybody and I never plan to tell it again so you should be grateful."

"Sure thing." Finn shuffled herself around the table until she was sat closer to Marguerite, eagerness all over her face.

"Ok, during the war I was in Germany, and no, I'm not going to tell you what I did there. We had got word that the German Army was about to surrender to the Allies, that was the English, French and several others, and although I would have been on the winning side there were reasons why I needed to get out of the country. I needed some fake documents and they were on their way, but first I needed somewhere to hide. I went into one of the local night-clubs and there was a huge group of young women dancing. I, of course, didn't give them a second glance but eventually one of them was left alone, still dancing, as though she were the only person in the room. As you're not repeating this to anybody I don't mind telling you she remains to this day the single most beautiful creature I have ever seen in my life. And she couldn't have been a day over twenty. But she wasn't stupid. She noticed my watching her and sauntered over to me and before I could think to move she had grabbed me and kissed me! In front of the whole club! It struck me as slightly odd at the time that nobody seemed to notice, but later I found out I'd accidentally gone into a club that was just for woman. Probably the best mistake I ever made in my life. She was a musician, studying in the town I was hiding in. I think she knew that I shouldn't have been in Germany and I stayed with her for two weeks and…well you can imagine."

"Was she good?"

"What!?"

"Sorry. I guess you guys don't ever talk about sex do you."

"No, it's not generally discussed in polite society."

"Marguerite, do you and me really count as polite society?"

Marguerite had to admit she had a point. With a smile she decided she might as well share more, she knew she could never speak this openly with Veronica and enjoyed breaking all the taboos set down by the drawing rooms in London.

"She was fantastic! And she had the most magnificent legs…certainly knew what to do with them as well! Completely different to a man of course."

"Yeah I think it's just always better with another girl. Men are just stupid sometimes."

Again Marguerite couldn't deny this. Strangely she never thought about much comparison but she was so surprised at how easy this was to talk about that she even forgot to be outraged by Finn's next question.

"Is it better with Roxton? 'Cus you love him and all.

"Yes, it's better…but Marlene just seemed to know how to do _everything_."

"Marlene. Good name. Sounds German."

Marguerite had to smile at this simple logic.

"Marlene Dietrich. Yes, very German sounding I suppose. I was petrified when she first told me her name. There was a General Dietrich I knew during the war, horrendous man and I thought I'd been seduced by his daughter or something. Turned out to just be a coincidence."

"What happened?"

"I begged her to come to England with me. Literally. On my knees and everything." She stopped to laugh at Finn's face, apparently she had said something funny. "What?"

"Think how that sounds Marguerite."

It took her moment.

"You have a filthy mind young lady!" She couldn't help but giggle herself though.

"She didn't go with you?"

"No. And I stayed in Germany for longer than I should have done, nearly got arrested for my part in the war."

"Why'd she stay? Love of her country?"

"She was never one for that much patriotism. I don't know if she loved anything actually, not her country, not me… Apparently she intended to try her hand at acting. So she stayed behind, where she knew the language and I never saw her again."

"That's real sad MG."

"It's not so bad. I have John and when we eventually do get back to London you'll see how unlikely it was that I'd have been able to take up with a woman anyway."

"Did you love her more than you do Roxton?"

Marguerite stared into the girl's eyes and although Finn thought the older woman was about to explode with anger she was in fact thinking over her answer.

"I loved her sooner. I trusted her quicker than I have ever trusted anybody, but no, I don't think I loved her more."

"Given the choice who would you pick?"

"John."

Finn asked no more questions. Her biggest one had been answered and she was now positive that she could find somebody to love her back, as Marguerite had. The two of them smiled at each other and with a new understanding they began to return to their chores.

"I call you back up when lunch is ready."

"Are you cooking?"

"Yes!"

"Geez, I only asked." She said with a sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to - "

"Gotcha!"

Finn went down in the elevator and Marguerite considered whether she should let Finn in on her secret culinary skills, or whether some secrets were just too precious.

The End.

A/N: - I know, I know, I'm a strange person but if Marguerite had a lesbian fling I really wanted it to be with somebody famous, or at least somebody who would be famous. For those of you that don't know Marlene Dietrich was one of the biggest film stars of Hollywood's Golden Age but she lived until she was thirty in post-war Germany's Weimar Age. When she met Marguerite she'd be about eighteen.


End file.
